Should I Worry About Mom Brain?

By Ali Weatherford

If you’ve been pregnant, you’ve probably experienced the phenomenon known as “Mom Brain” or “Pregnancy Brain”. There are some very relatable standard Mom Brain experiences like forgetting words, looking everywhere for your phone but in your back pocket, leaving strange items in the refrigerator, forgetting why you got up and walked into another room.

And I’ve also heard some especially memorable ones. Someone admitted to sitting on the toilet, wiping, then peeing….in that order. Another person needed a blank piece of paper at work so they printed one. Others get into the shower wearing glasses, a bra, etc. And my favorite is those of us who desperately need to hand the brand new baby off to our partners to free up our hands…. So that our hands are free to take care of the baby. I’ve done that. Mom Brain is real, it starts during pregnancy, but does becoming a mom actually cause a brain deficiency? 

What Mom Brain Is

It might seem obvious that people who are pregnant or in the early days of parenting would have some issues with forgetfulness, brain fog, and loss of focus. Logistically, you have a lot more going on. You’re having to take care of your body AND your baby’s. You’re thinking about things like maternity leave and finances. Pregnancy probably means you aren’t sleeping as well, and under extra stress for a lot of different reasons. Maybe you’re worried about how your extended family will handle having a new baby in the mix, or whether your pets will adjust to the new addition.

You might worry about daycare, whether breastfeeding will work, or whether you’ll ever be able to have a social life after baby. Maybe you’re worried about giving birth. You can prepare for this stress by taking childbirth classes, but then the baby arrives and there’s even more to think about. All of the physical changes, combined with all of the other concerns, can account for some or even most of your Mom Brain symptoms.

But it’s also well understood now that people literally lose gray matter in the brain during pregnancy. The brain volume actually decreases. That sounds really scary, and it also sounds like it might explain some of the weird “Mom Brain” moments people have. What might sound even scarier is that we don’t get all of that gray matter back. Mom Brain is what happens when brains are preparing for parenthood. There is some loss, and that can lead to some big symptoms, but that’s not the whole picture.

What Mom Brain REALLY Is 

More recently, there has been increased research into the brain changes caused by pregnancy. It’s true that we lose some, but it’s also true that other parts of the brain are enhanced, rewired, and remodeled to make you a better parent. Scientists believe that the losses are a sort of pruning process. The brain can reduce the number of unnecessary parts or connections to become better and more efficient in other ways.

As you are losing gray matter and volume, you are also gaining white matter. White matter is critical for communication between different areas of the gray matter. Healthy and abundant white matter is essential for optimal brain function. Your brain makes new connections and gains efficiency in the parts that help you be a good parent. It’s an amazing process, and there is now a map of the maternal brain that you can look at to see the very real changes and differences. 

What This Means for Moms

For some of this, you’ll just have to ride it out and wait for things to keep developing. In the meantime, taking good care of yourself can minimize the impacts of the brain remodeling that’s happening. 

• Get plenty of sleep.
• Eat well.
• Get some exercise everyday. Mild to moderate exercise is plenty. Even taking a daily walk can help a lot. 
• Manage your stress. Sleep, good nutrition, and exercise can all help you lower stress levels, but you might also simplify your life wherever you can, find a therapist, pray, meditate, find some positive affirmations….whatever works for you. 

I’ve always believed that becoming a parent means gaining some super powers, and science is starting to provide some tangible evidence of this. Your body is amazing in so many ways. What it does in pregnancy to allow conception and then support a new person and a new organ is pretty near miraculous even as you have to navigate some uncomfortable side effects. The Mom Brain phenomena has been used to explain away shortcomings, but I love that science is now uncovering a much bigger truth. Your Mom Brain is one of your super powers. You might experience some weird and frustrating blips and short circuits as your brain is changing, but in the end, you will be better and more capable than ever. 

References:

Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy

Neuroanatomy, Cerebral Hemisphere – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf

Brain changes observed during pregnancy | National Institutes of Health (NIH)